A WOULD-BE pilot who has sold everything in a bid to land a job flying jumbo jets, will see his hopes dashed unless he finds another £6,500 by November.

Mark McManus has already spent more than £25,000 to finance his dream.

He has sold his car, and he has given up his job so that he can fit in the hours required to obtain a commercial pilot's license.

But, despite being offered £5,250 by Teesside Training and Enterprise Council, he still needs to find a further £6,500.

If he cannot find the money by the end of November, he will be back to square one because the TEC will withdraw its funding.

Mr McManus already holds a professional private pilot's licence, which allows him to fly light aircraft, but he feels the time is right to make the transition to a commercial licence.

Mr McManus, 37, said: "All I have ever really wanted to do is fly aircraft and it is my lifetime ambition to pilot a Boeing 747.

"It is the big one. It is like comparing a Mini to a Mercedes, knowing that everyone would choose the Mercedes every time."

Mr McManus, from Bramcote Way, Thornaby, Teesside, has enrolled on a course with Linvic Flight Centres, to gain his final commercial pilot's licence, costing him £11,750, but he hopes there will be a job for him when he has completed it.

He said: "It is an expensive business learning to fly a plane. I never had the money before, until I started work driving trucks. However, I needed to give up my HGV job to get all the required flying hours in to gain the licence. I also had to sell my car to help raise the money required.

"It will be worth it when I can get behind the controls and go away on long haul flights, which is what the plane is equipped for. Once I have completed the training, I will be able to earn quite a considerable amount."

Mr McManus has only until November 30 to raise the remainder of the money needed to realise his dream. If anyone can help with sponsorship, they are asked to contact him via The Northern Echo on (01642) 675678